Photographic-print-handling apparatus



v 1. s. GREENE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT HANDLING APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, IBIS. I 1,3 1 251 Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 11v VEN TOR (f0 5 'fi'reene 25 .4 TTORNE V5 J. S. GREENE. PHOTOGRAPHIC FRI NT HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILIED Jim: 11, 1919.

I Patnt ed Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR (E225. fire a9 BY 7 ZJSATTORNEYS LJNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. GREENE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL CAMERA COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINT-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed June 1'7, 1919. Serial N0. 304,790.

To all to hem it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN S. GREENE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Print-Handling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to photography and more particularly to photographic print handling machines and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient conveying device that will operate satisfactorily in a dark box or chamber and convey photographic prints in the dry state from one point to another as, for instance, from the exposing apparatus through a dark room or depository where they are received for development. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain im provements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of an exposing apparatus in connection with which my invention is used;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central. section through a fragment of such apparatus and through a print handling device associated therewith and constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention, a portion of such device being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the print handling device detached and partly broken away and with the cover removed:

Fig. 4. is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4i of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragment of the flexible conveyer, and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5. 4

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

My improved mechanism is particularly adapted for use in connection with the commercial type of camera which photographs a positive image upon a continuous length of paper film strip which latter is afterward severed in the machine or else delivered in its original form for treatment and I have illustrated such a camera in the present embodiment of the invention with the print handling device utilized to convey the severed prints into an adjacent dark room where they are received for development. Referring to Fig. 1, 1 indicates a prism and lens system for projecting the image of a horizontally disposed object through a front 2 and bellows 3 into the exposure chamber 4 of a camera box 5 and for reversing the image so that a positive will beobtained. Referring to Fig. 2, the

image is received on the sensitive paper or film strip P in the focal plane 6 of the camera which paper is fed from a roll (not shown) between feed rollers 7 and 8 operated by a. crank 9 shown in Fig. 1. After the exposed area has passed these feed rollers, it descends into the dark box 10 of my present apparatus and is severed by a knife 11 suitably operated.

The dark box 10, provided with a removable cover 12, extending throughout its length is carried upon the camera support 13 to project rearwardly therefrom and its front end lies beneath the camera body in the region of the focal planeto receive through an opening 14: beyond the cover 12 the prints as delivered from the feed rolls 7 and 8. Below this opening 14:, I arrange an inclined uide 15 that directs the print rearwardly a ong the bottom of the dark box 10 which bottom is smooth and regular and of such a texture as not to injure the sensitive coating on the paper. The box is long and shallow and of a width only slightly greater than that of the film strip and its rear end is open as shown at 16. In the present instance, I have shown this open end inside of a wall 17 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 which wall may represent that of a dark room in which the prints are to be later developed.

After passing the guide 15 the print runs under a transverse roller 18 supported in bearing brackets 19 on the walls of the dark box which roller is grooved at 20 and 21 and runs substantially tangent to the bottom of the dark box though permitting the print to pass beneath it. In the present instance the roller is driven by a sprocket 22 on an extension 23 of its shaft and a sprocket chain 24 passes over a sprocket 25 on the crank 9 of the camera feed rollers, a similar but idle roller 26 having bearing brackets 27 and grooves 28 is arranged at the rear end of the dark box adjacent to the opening 16. Running over these rollers and seated in the respective grooves thereof are two endless conveyers indicated generally at C and C. I prefer to construct each conveyer as shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, of a core 29 of elastic material such as rubber rope carrying at intervals sections 30 of rubber tubing of greater diameter forming non-abrasive contact members. These conveyers are stretched over the rollers so that both stretches are substantially taut although they will of course, sag a little on an arc of great radius. Being substantially coincident with the surface of the bottom of the dark box at the rollers, they rest upon the prints and frictionally engage them with a gentle pressure throughout their lengths and from roller to roller so that the severed print, after leaving the guide 15, is immediately taken up and conveyed at a uniform rate to the rear until delivered through the opening 16 into the dark room, as indicated in Fig. 2. The natural curl of the print also gives it a tendency to hold itself in contact with the conveyers but in any event, the latter make a uniform contact with all of the prints and hold them in spaced relationship so that they do not interfere with each other as they pass along to the dark room.

The usual arrangements may be made for rendering the dark box light-tight with respect to its cooperation with the delivery mechanism of the camera and in the present instance, a hinged door 31 is shown depending from the rear wall 32 of the camera body to rest on the dark box cover 12 which door may be raised with the cover to gain access to the interior of the dark box, when re uired.

claim as my invention 1. The combination with a support having a smooth surface on which photographic prints are adapted to slide, and driving gear, of a flexible conveyer operated by the latter to traverse the surface and composed of successive non-abrasive contact members carried at intervals upon an elastic core.

2. The combination with a support having a smooth surface over which photographic prints are adapted to slide and a pair of rotary supports spaced across said surface and arranged substantially tangent thereto, of an elastic rubber endless conveyer stretched across said supports and operated thereby to traverse the surface, said conveyer being composed of a core having nonabrasive contact members of greater diameter intervals thereon adapted when travelthe print and propel it along the surface.

JOHN S. GREENE.

mg 111 one direction to frictionally engage 

